Football news - Hazard inspires Real Madrid to win over Eibar

Eden Hazard made his return from injury to inspire Real Madrid to a comfortable 3-1 win over Eibar in the unfamiliar surroundings of the Estadio Alfredo di Stefano.

With the Santiago Bernabeu currently being redeveloped, Los Blancos played their first ever competitive match at their smaller training ground stadium on Madrid’s outskirts, but still managed to make home advantage count.

It took Toni Kroos just three minutes to open the scoring, angling a wonderful side-footed finish into the top corner of the net after good work by Karim Benzema down the left side. And Sergio Ramos doubled the hosts’ advantage on the half-hour mark, finishing a counter attack that involved Benzema and Hazard.

A bullet shot from Marcelo added a third for Real Madrid in the first half as Zinedine Zidane’s side took a vice grip of the contest before the break. Eibar pulled one back in the second half, with substitute Pedro Bias squeezing a shot through the legs of Thibaut Courtois, but despite wobbling towards the end the hosts got the job done to hit the ground running after three months away.

The win sees Real Madrid keep pace with Barcelona at the top of La Liga, once more closing the gap to two points after the Catalans’ similarly emphatic win over Real Mallorca on Saturday evening.

Hazard’s first season in Spain has been a fragmented one, with a series of injuries preventing the Belgian from building any sort of momentum. However, this game proved not for the first time that an understanding between Hazard and Benzema can flourish if given the chance. That must be of some encouragement to Zidane as Los Blancos head down the final stretch of this season’s title race.

Much was made of Hazard’s return from injury for this match and on the basis of this performance there was good reason for that. The Belgian was extremely lively in the first half, shifting between the left and right wings to unsettle the Eibar defence. Hazard dropped off in the second half, but that was perhaps understandable given how long he has spent out. Even better things will be expected.

Real Madrid - Courtois 7, Carvajal 5, Ramos 6, Varane 6, Marcelo 7, Modric 6, Casemiro 5, Kroos 6, Hazard 8, Benzema 7, Rodrygo 5. Subs - Bale 4, Mendy 5, Militao 5, Vinicius 4, Valverde 3.

Eibar - Dmitrovic 6, Correa 5, Oliveira 6, Arbilla 5, Soares 6, Cristoforo 5, Alvarez 6, Exposito 7, Orellana 6, Kike 6, De Blasis 6. Subs - Bigas 7, Leon 5, Enrich 6, Inui 6, Burgos 5.

4’ GOAL! Real Madrid 1-0 Eibar: An early opener for Real Madrid and what a goal it was! The ball fell to Kroos about 16 yards out after Benzema had attempted to bundle his way through a couple tackles and the German midfielder passed a wonderful finish into the top corner of the Eibar net!

30’ GOAL! Real Madrid 2-0 Eibar: A second goal for Real Madrid and it's Ramos who grabs it! Eibar were cut open on the rapid counter attack with Benzema finding Hazard completely open. The Belgian then squared the ball for Ramos to finish into the back of the empty net!

37’ GOAL! Real Madrid 3-0 Eibar: A bullet of a shot from Marcelo and Real Madrid are three goals to the good! Hazard was played in behind, his shot was saved by Dmitrovic, a half clearance was made to the feet of the Brazilian left back and he lashed a finish into the far corner of the net!

60’ Off the bar! With his first touch, Enrich comes close to finding the back of the net, but his glancing header at the near post from a corner kick comes back off the Real Madrid crossbar! So close!

61’ GOAL! Real Madrid 3-1 Eibar: Eibar have a goal back, although nobody is quite sure how that ended up in the back of the net! Bigas got the shot away, but his effort took two or three deflections and then squirmed through the legs of Courtois and dribbled over the line.

73’ Great chance for Eibar! That was a real opportunity for the away side to truly get back in this match with Leon released in behind, but Courtois came off his line to make the block. Might have been offside, though.

Marcelo became the 19th different player to score for Real Madrid in La Liga this season. Real Madrid have the most scorers of any team in Europe’s top five leagues this season.

Toni Kroos has now scored six goals in all competitions this season for Real Madrid, his best tally in any single season for the club.